An Elder Speaks

Babel in Babylon
Ronald Thompkins
May 2, 2004

Jeremiah 28:7  Nevertheless hear thou now this word that I speak in thine ears, and in the ears of all the people:

8  The prophets that have been before me and before thee of old prophesied against many countries, and against great kingdoms, of war, and of evil, and of pestilence.

9  The prophet that prophesieth of peace, when the word of the prophet shall come to pass, then shall the prophet be known, that Jehovah hath truly sent him.(ASV)

This passage was spoken by the prophet Jeremiah at the request of God in response to a message from a false prophet, Hananiah.

At a time when God had proclaim to the children of Israel  now under Babylonian rule that their captivity would last for seventy years; Hananiah told then it would not last that long, in fact God was about to break the yoke of their bondage. To reinforce his false prophecy, he broke the wooden yoke that Jeremiah had adorned at the request of God to demonstrate the seventy years would go the full term. What was also amazing those who had heard God’s prophesy from Jeremiah, never seem to have questioned Hananiah. They should have remembered that prophets of the past that were truly sent by God, whatever they prophesied it came to past. Moses had already given the test of a true prophet in Deuteronomy 18:21-22, And if thou say in thy heart, How shall we know the word which Jehovah hath not spoken?

22  when a prophet speaketh in the name of Jehovah, if the thing follow not, nor come to pass, that is the thing which Jehovah hath not spoken: the prophet hath spoken it presumptuously, thou shalt not be afraid of him.

Hananiah was killed for falsifying God’s word.

In this day and time on each and every Sunday (and Saturday’s and Friday’s) we have men proclaiming to be speaking on behalf of God. Those who are confused about all this need to simply ask does this person in fact speak God’s words or man. To answer the question God did not leave us “hanging”, He left us His word (Hebrews 1:1).

Man today is just as bold as Hananiah, and just like Hananiah they will also reap their just reward. The important issue for us as Christians is we do not respond the same as the Jews of this day and time. Let’s always be reminded that the word of God is truth and not even His angels have the authority to change it (Galatians 1:8). And for those of us who desire to preach and teach let us be reminded that  [Peter 4:11] if any man speaketh, speaking as it were oracles of God; is any man ministereth, ministering as of the strength which God supplieth: that in all things God may be glorified through Jesus Christ, whose is the glory and the dominion for ever and ever. Amen. (ASV)

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